Broadband Briefs for 1/15/10

• Comcast says it will donate $1M to Haiti aid
By The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) – Comcast will make a donation valued at $1 million for disaster relief in Haiti, $50,000 of it in cash to two charities and the rest in other types of aid. The cable company, based in Philadelphia, said late Thursday it is providing cash and in-kind support for earthquake victims. Of the $1 million, the company will split the $50,000 in cash between the American Red Cross and Telecoms Sans Frontieres, which has sent an emergency team with satellite mobile and fixed communications equipment to Haiti.

The Caribbean nation was struck by a devastating earthquake Tuesday and as many as 50,000 people are feared dead.

Comcast Corp. is also providing free air time across its networks, along with production assistance, for earthquake-related public service announcements from the Red Cross and other organizations, said spokesman John Demming Friday. In addition, the company is providing digital voice services at no cost in Miami-Dade county at the Edison Little River neighborhood center for people to contact relatives in Haiti, he said.

NEW YORK (AP) – The Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon Communications Inc., said Thursday it gave $100,000 to two nonprofit groups helping victims of Tuesday's earthquake in Haiti.

The foundation gave $50,000 each to World Vision and Food for the Poor.

The foundation also said it will match each dollar that its employees donate to those two nonprofits, up to $1,000 per employee.

• Sonus Networks names Infante to board
By The Associated Press

WESTFORD, Mass. (AP) – Sonus Networks Inc., which makes Internet network hardware and software, said Thursday that it named Beatriz Infante to its board.

Infante is the CEO of business consulting company BusinessExcelleration LLC. Her appointment was effective as of Sunday, Sonus said.

The company had said last January that it was adding two independent seats to its board as part of a settlement agreement with Legatum Capital. Infante, who was nominated by Legatum, is the most recent addition to the board under this change.